Sick or Love Sick
by Emily Hoyt
Summary: Where have the years gone? It seems only yesterday that Sue joined the bureau and now, it's her fifth anniversary. Naturally, the gang wants to have a party in her honor, but Lucy is sure that the butterflies aren't because she's the center of attention.


"Actually, I was planning on wearing this really short skirt I bought with some kind of tank top or halter or-"

"Ladies, case!" D said, coming into the bullpen and interrupting Lucy and Sue's discussion about a party they were going to that evening. They pulled up a chair and listened as D briefly outlined a file containing reports on a burglar that had been on the loose for a few weeks. Since he had decided to rob a high ranking official, caution was needed in case he had made off with official reports or files. Otherwise, this case would not require FBI agents.

Moving almost immediately so as to get the case out of the way, they all set of to work tracking down leads and looking for accomplices or relative who could be harboring the fugitive. Within four hours, the case was tied up and the thief was in jail while the rest of the gang sat laughing at how stupid it seemed that who a person robbed suddenly made the difference in who would cover it.

"So," Lucy said quietly, continuing her conversation over the appropriate attire for the party, "do you have anything in that fashion for the party or do we need to do some shopping?"

"Well, I'd rather not go shopping for clothes… like that since I probably… more than likely will never wear them ever again!"

"Why wouldn't you wear certain clothes again?" Jack asked, unable to contain his curiosity. "I can't imagine not wearing clothes that are still good."

"We've been invited to a bachelorette party in a week and Lucy has informed me that this is not a… black tie evening. Well… Lucy, explain to him what you're planning on wearing so he'll understand."

"Well, I'm wearing a short black skirt and, probably, a red halter top I bought months ago and never wore."

"Right," Jack said quietly, looking at Sue for a moment who had a 'see-what-I-mean' expression plastered on her face. Unfortunately, all Jack could do was imagine her in some skimpy little outfit. What was boiling his blood was that he wasn't there, but lots of other men were. He cleared his throat, wished her good luck and went back to his desk, leaving Sue confused and Lucy positively beaming with excitement. Sue gazed over at her, but before she could utter a syllable of her question, Lucy grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hallway and into a small bathroom at the end of the hall.

"I don't get it," Sue said quietly, but Lucy just smiled wide.

"Sue, talking about my outfit helped him understand what you were talking about, but… it also put a picture in his head… an indecent picture. In fact, a picture of you in some barely there ensemble."

"Lucy-"

"Don't even try. Jack might be the sweetest, most decent and adorable guy around, but he is still a guy and, although they might hide it well, they all have a similar thing on their brains. Jack is just better than most at not letting it get the better of him… except when it comes to you," she smiled and gave Sue a pointed look that made Sue blush six shades of red. She tried to shake her head, but Lucy shushed her. "Humor me. Wear something… _kind of_ revealing to work or unbutton an extra button on your blouse and see if Jack doesn't react."

Sue's mind clouded as Lucy walked out and left her to her thoughts. Slowly, her mind drifted back to the time her and Jack were 'married' when she nearly tumbled off the step as she observing Arif Dessa while she was in her shower robe. He held her securely and all was fine until she moved to get down. A fire smoldered in Jack's eyes as he waited for her to speak, but the lack of oxygen in her lungs had made that kind of hard.

"Oh, Levi… what have I gotten myself into this time?" she asked softly as she lowered to balance on her haunches as she spoke to her faithful dog.

Sue scratched behind his ear and washed her hands, quickly placing herself before leaving the bathroom. She walked into the bullpen and found everyone gathered together smiling and bouncing ideas back and forth. As she approached, Tara beckoned her closer.

"We've decided to go out for supper Saturday night. Someone ¾ we won't say who —," Tara said, looking pointedly at Jack from the corner of her eye, "reminded us all that as of this Saturday, you will be celebrating your five year anniversary with us. So, we've decided a small intimate party is in order. Where do you think we should go?" she asked, Sue smiling in embarrassment.

"You guys don't have to do all this…"

"Yes, we do," Jack said immediately. "We celebrate everyone's anniversary in five year increments. Tara was one of our last celebrations. Now, it's your turn."

"How about _Al Capriccio_?" Tara asked softly. "It's a little place I know with delicious pastas and they have a little dance floor, too. It's nice and cozy." Everyone nodded in agreement and Sue found herself greatly outnumbered. With a small nod that grew with appreciation, they all agreed on six in the evening which gave them enough time to clean up and get there after work. They all smiled and went back to work while Sue sat behind her desk, feeling awkwardly about everyone going out to celebrate her. She worked hard the rest of the day and was soon on her way home.

Lucy and Sue grabbed their jackets and went to their car parked in the garage. Sue slid into the passengers seat and looked out her window, watching Jack move towards his car. He walked briskly, his coat slung over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, his strong forearms rippling with muscle. She fought to keep her self-control and, when he waved at her as they drove off, she thought it was as good as gone.

"So, Sue, are you anxious?" Lucy asked excitedly as they sat at home sipping tea.

"To tell you the truth, I hate parties held in my honor and, if I weren't the guest of honor, I would try to get out of going. I'm not feeling too well." Her hand hugged her stomach while she continued to drink of beverage.

"You're fine, Sue. That nausea that feels like a thousand pairs of wings bouncing off the walls of your abdomen is referred to as having butterflies in your stomach. You're just nervous," she reassured quietly. Sue looked up from her cup.

"Lucy, it's not just my stomach. I get these periods of time were my legs feel like jelly and my head is ready to burst open. I feel like I could explode in a thousand different directions at once."

"And do these periods of faintness happen to coincide with the times you're physically close to a certain dark haired FBI agent?" Lucy asked with a smile.

Sue looked down at her cup again and processed Lucy's words, not noticing her friend 'ooh' and 'un hun' her lack of response. The more she thought, the more she realized Lucy was right. She felt hot tears sting at her eyes and tried to suppress them through deep breaths, but it did nothing to help. Her shoulders bounced lightly and Lucy stopped her little victory dance to stare at her friend. Sue looked up slowly with tear stained cheeks and nodded her head woefully in admission. Lucy felt her heart sink after her childish actions and pulled Sue into a tight hug.

"Lucy, I don't think I can do this anymore," Sue said quietly. "I can't help how I feel and I don't want to leave my position in the bullpen, but… it's really hard. Lucy, I… I think I'm in love with him," she whispered. Lucy smiled down at her.

"Sue, I've known it for a long time. And, although he hasn't admitted it, I know Jack's in love with you, too. What you need to do is encourage him a little bit. Like, tomorrow night… don't wear just a pair of dress pants and a nice blouse. Wear some mind-shattering and _slightly_ revealing dress. Curl your hair and leave it down the way he likes. Just… don't sit there, barely look at him and expect him to read your mind as it screams inside your skull. Okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, you're right," she whispered. "**Thank you**."

"**You're welcome.** Now, let's go raid our closets and find you something to wear tomorrow night."

"Our reservations are under Sue's name," Tara explained after getting off the phone from making the arrangements. "The reservations are for eight; I wasn't sure if you wanted to bring your wife or not," she said, looking over at Dimitrius. He nodded his head and thanked her silently while everyone else went along with their jobs, minding their own business. Sue risked only a couple glances in Jack's direction all day, Saturday being a relatively slow day where he could catch her easily. She focused on her work and did it quietly, a small heat wave having settled over the city of Washington D.C.

"Sue?" Jack asked quietly, waiting for Levi to alert her to his call. Sue pet Levi and looked up. "Do you have the reports from the hit-and-run last Tuesday?" he asked quietly. She nodded with a smile and passed them to him before retuning to her work without another glance in his direction. He looked over to Lucy who silently signaled him to go out into the hall and that she'd follow in a moment. With a weary expression, he made to go to the bathroom and hovered outside the bullpen, waiting for Lucy, who ducked out nearly five minutes later.

"Sorry, I didn't want to make Sue suspicious," she explained quickly. "Look, Sue… isn't really comfortable being the center of attention, so she wasn't even looking forward to this evening until we spoke about it. On top of that, she's a little surprised we remembered it was her anniversary, particularly you," she said, lying through her teeth.

"Me? Why wouldn't I remember it? It was a Wednesday we first met. I remember because… well, because it was two days before Myles was supposed to be going out of town for the weekend. Sorry. Anyway, what difference does it make?"

"Well, she's not used to having people pay attention to her in an entirely positive way. And, seeing as you have a 'Y' chromosome, she's surprised you remembered it. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised, myself. Normally, it's Tara or me that remind you guys of the anniversaries."

"That's ridiculous! We remember…" He trailed off and Lucy stared at him silently. "Alright, we don't, but this is a special anniversary."

"Why?" Lucy asked. "It's just another anniversary. Or, is it the 'who' that's made it so special?"

"Well… I mean… Lucy, your poking and prodding is going to get you in trouble some day."

"So, it _is_ the 'who'. Jack, do you love her?" she asked bluntly, blind-siding him. He looked around for a moment, as if the perfectly worded answer was written on one of the walls, but after several seconds, he looked up at Lucy with a wistful smile. She stared at him. "Why so sad?" she asked confusion. "Are you telling me you still haven't realized how much she loves you?"

"Lucy, stop playing matchmaker. If she ever did feel anything for me, I think I'd notice. I'm telling you; you're way off."

"Oh, yeah?" she said snidely. "Dance with her tonight and, while you're alone, tell her what I said," she told him as he turned away. "We'll see who's 'off'."

"There you are," Tara said as Sue walked into the restaurant. She'd been waiting at the door for their late friends and smiled at Sue's outfit. "Jack is gonna flip when he sees you," she declared quickly before showing Sue and Lucy to their window table just tables away from the dance floor. "Guys, they're here."

Jack turned around and his breath caught in his throat while his heart hammered madly. She had on a curve-hugging black skirt that fell just above her knees and a crimson red silk tank top that left her shoulders deliciously bare. He swallowed hard and forced a smile to his face, trying to calm his insides, but with little success. With a concealed smile, they ordered their meals and talked amicably until their drinks arrived. They had Sue stand and held up their glasses to her.

"To a great friend, co-worker, agent… To Sue," Tara said.

"To an amazing addition to the team," Bobby smiled, tapping Tara's glass. Jack smiled.

"To a great person that I don't know what I… we'd do without. To Sue Thomas… and Levi," Jack finished, trying to lighten the mood after his little Freudian slip. They all raised their glasses together and cheered as Sue blushed a lovely fuchsia. Luckily for Sue and Jack, their entrées arrived and they all sat down as the band started up. The tiny restaurant only had another six tables of four to eight people which left the dance floor pretty barren. Tara and Bobby got up and did a cute jive number to an old big band song which earned them applause from their table and company on the dance floor.

Seeing their main meals arrive, they returned to their table and while everyone gushed over their dancing, Lucy nudged Jack, reminding him to ask her to dance and relay her words later. He stared back, slightly angry, before digging into his meal. Lucy stared at him with a disapproving glance, but he didn't even acknowledge her gaze. In his mind, he'd ask Sue when he was good and ready…

Which is to say when he'd finally had enough of Lucy elbowing him in the ribs during the entire evening. Just before dessert, he stood and moved around the table, squeezing through and tapping Sue's shoulder. She spun to face him.

"Would you like to dance?" Jack asked softly, making Sue smile back. He led her onto the dance floor and swung her around into his arms, holding her close. She moaned softly as they swayed to the music together. The song was gentle and Jack felt a small giggle of irony build inside of him as he listened to the words of the song.

_I bless the day I found you_

_I want to stay around you_

_And so I beg you_

_Let it be me_

_Don't take this heaven from one_

_If you must cling to someone_

_Now and forever_

_Let it be me_

"What's so funny?" Sue asked quietly. Jack looked down at her.

'_It's now or never._' "Lucy, actually. She told me something earlier that just came back to me. She said something to the effects of you being in love with me."

The second the words crossed his lips, Sue stopped moving, breathing, everything. She stepped back from him and he saw something like shameful terror in her eyes. He tried to comfort her, but she turned her heel and ran outside as fast as her pumps could carry her. Jack looked up to see everyone staring at him, Lucy wearing a small smirk of triumph. He swung his gaze towards the door she'd just exited through and felt a tiny smile creep its way onto his lips before taking off after her.

"Sue," he whispered as he crouched down before her fetal form. She tried to shrink away, but he cupped his hands around her shoulders and eased her to her feet. "Sue, look at me."

"Lucy had no right–"

"I'm glad she did, Sue." Her gaze was just barely high enough to see his lips moving, but she caught every word and her gaze slid tentatively upwards. "I'm glad she told me, Sue. I'm glad she helped me realize you're in love with me." She turned a light red color and tried to look away, comprehension dawning on her. Lucy hadn't said she loved him per say. She'd just guided him into noticing it. Shame graced her cheeks as she thought about how she'd just acted for nothing.

"I'm sor–"

"Don't apologize, Sue. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one… I'm the one who needs to beg your forgiveness for not being honest with you a long time ago," he whispered, making her stare up into his handsome features. Her knees started to melt beneath her, but his arms around her kept her from crumbling at his feet. "I love you, too, Sue."

In that moment, she would have sworn an earthquake had just hit Washington D.C. as she felt everything inside shake furiously. Tears stung at her eyes and she watched Jack smile softly down at her. She returned a his grin with a tiny one of her own, but couldn't prevent that droplets that seeped down her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumbs and cradled her face in the palms of his hands. She choked on her laughter.

"I, uh… I thought Lucy told you about last night. I experienced a moment that wasn't too flattering."

"Oh?" he asked patiently. She nodded.

"Lucy blamed my upset stomach on butterflies and my weak spells on my proximity to you. I just… I couldn't bring myself to deny it this time and I started crying a little and I admitted — to her — that I'd fallen in love with you. I thought she'd betrayed my confidence, so I ran out before I turned a horrible shade of burgundy."

"But burgundy looks so gorgeous on you," he gushed, making her turn, if not burgundy, at least red. He smiled and watched her try to cover her face, but he just took her hands in his and moved them away from her face, placing his lips to the apples of her cheeks. She felt all the air rush out of her lungs in a single breath and leaned into his warm embrace. With feathery kisses, he caressed his way down the slopes of her face and, after what felt like an eternity, his mouth pressed delicately to hers.

His kiss was so soft, she nearly stumbled from it's intense meaning; he wasn't in a hurry and he was trying to be as gentle as humanly possible. She whimpered softly and, unable to contain herself, pressed against him, coiling an arm around his neck to hold him closer to her. With a small grin, he deepened it and chuckled lightly against her, his hands tangling in her hair and kissing her deeply and tenderly. A few seconds later, they separated slowly, resting their foreheads together with unsuppressable chuckles at their silliness. Jack's head snapped around and that's when she noticed their audience.

Being so wrapped up in each other and the discovery of their love, they'd drowned out the rest of the world, including their co-workers sitting inside the glassed-in restaurant at a window-side table, watching the entire scene unfold before their eyes. Jack and Sue watched with flushed faces as the rest of the gang smiled and applauded them, some of the other restauranteers joining them after having witnessed their moment.

With a wide grin, Jack waved back while Sue burried her face in his shoulder. She looked up at Jack and bit her lower lip.

"We're never going to hear the end of this. You know they'll tease us forever over it taking five years?" she said, her face darkening by the second. Jack smiled and guided her away from the restaurant, making everyone upset that they weren't coming back in to the firing squad. Lucy walked out and called after them, but Jack just put Sue into the car and walked around to the driver's seat.

"Well, let's not give them an early start." And, with a deep kiss, he drove off, determined to savor the start of something that would one day be a milestone in their lives.

-Fin-


End file.
